Lee Wilson (MSG Suzuki 1000) made sure of the 2013 ACU Clubmans Championship with another top class performance in the final round of the series at Cadwell Park. The 30-year-old from near Barnsley held a slender 21-point lead over his closest rival, Jamie Harrison (Honda 1000), going into the Derby Phoenix club’s two-day meeting, but with double points to be won in each of the weekend’s five races there was no room for error.
The task was made more difficult by the arrival of several top guest riders. Three of them, Kingsley Ruddy (BMW 1000), Phil Crowe (BMW 1000) and Daz Bellworthy (Suzuki 1000), filled the top three places in race one pushing Harrison down to fourth, Wilson to fifth and another championship contender, Carl Simpson (BMW 1000) to sixth. It was a similar story in the other four races.
Ruddy, the reigning ACU Clubmans Champion, won the next three. Wilson was third home, while Harrison, who had clashed on the start line with Crowe, knocking off his rival’s brake lever, was only fifth over the line, losing more ground in the series.
Harrison, the 39-year-old from Newcastle-under-Lyne, had more than the extra opposition to worry about. A head gasket blew in Friday’s practice day and he had to spend the weekend topping up the radiator. Despite that he bounced back to take third place in race three, just ahead of Wilson.
Even though Wilson could only manage seventh place in the next, after an excursion on to the grass, Harrison was only fifth home.
Wilson made sure of the title and also the Derby Phoenix club’s 751-1300cc Four stroke championship, by taking fourth place, behind Harrison, in the final race to end the season on 448 points, just eleven more than his rival.
Rookie Simpson had hoped to finish second in the final standings, but a crash in the Friday test day left his bike battered. He took two seconds, a fourth and two fifths, but still ended up third overall, 28 points behind Harrison.
Crowe notched up two second places and victory in the last race, but perhaps the most impressive performance of the weekend came from seven-times Derby Phoenix champion, Daz Bellworthy (Suzuki 1000), racing in only his second meeting in over 24 months who had two thirds, a second
Allcomers 701-1300
Jamie Harrison had the consolation of winning the Derby Phoenix club’s 701-1300cc Allcomers championship after an equally close, season-long battle with Lee Wilson. Harrison was 20 points ahead of Wilson coming into the meeting and the final three, double-points races. Phil Crowe, Kingsley Ruddy and Daz Bellworthy filled the top three places in race one on the Saturday, with Wilson fourth and Harrison fifth. Harrison was fifth again race two.
It was Ruddy, Crowe and Bellworthy in race two on Sunday, with Harrison fifth and Wilson only seventh. The final race was for the Steve Hix Trophy.
Ruddy was the winner, ahead of the remarkable Bellworthy, but Wilson pulled out after his rear went off on the fourth lap when lying fifth, over two seconds behind Harrison in third spot.
Ruddy headed Bellworthy home, with Harrison third taking the title on 264 points, 22 ahead of Ruddy, with Wilson pushed down to third on 210.
Formula 600 and 175-675cc Allcomers
Stuart Martin (Triumph 675) had a meeting to remember. He raced seven times, winning six of them and taking second place in the other. Martin, younger brother of Guy Martin, was just one point ahead of season-long rival and near-neighbour Lee Wells (Triumph 675) in the Formula 600 class.
Martin won the three of first four races, beaten by Wells, only after his machine had a gear change problem.
By the fifth and final race Martin could not be caught, so Wells who had been struggling with an oil leak, did not bother to go out. Martin also won the 175-675 Allcomers championship, by just 14 points from Wells, who lost all chance after tangling with Carl Simpson at the Hairpin in the second race and falling.
Pre Injection 600
Ash Doughtrey (Yamaha) kept his nerve to win the Derby Phoenix club’s Pre-Injection 600 class.
Holding a 121 point lead of racing over arch-rival Karl Foster (Yamaha) looked comfortable, but with 250 points still to be won, Daughtrey not only wanted to make sure of the title, but also try and help teammate and near neighbour, Adam Reeve, clinch runner-up spot.
Daughtrey, the 41-year-old from Rotherham, took second place, behind Reeve in the first two races, with Karl Foster third. Reeve tried just a little too hard in race three, though and crashed out, leaving Foster to win. Daughtrey could not be caught now, but he was keen to continue to help his friend.
But then he tried too hard, falling off, leaving Reeve the winner and Foster third. It was still very close in the battle for runner-up spot, with Foster 29 points ahead of Reeve. Reeve made it four wins from five to take his total for the year to 436, but though Daughtrey did his bit by taking second place, Foster was third home giving him 441 points and runner-up spot by just five.